Some equipment, such as, for example, a piece of hospital equipment, when in operation, may vibrate. The mention herein of hospital equipment is illustrative and non-limiting. As will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art, the apparatus and methods disclosed herein are not limited by the particular type of equipment that is supported. Reference herein to vibrating equipment will be understood to include any type of equipment, whether now known or in the future discovered, that vibrates, or for which vibration isolation is desired (such as equipment that is sensitive to vibration from other sources).
If a vibrating piece of equipment is set directly on a floor, or a supporting platform, the vibrations caused by the piece of equipment can be transferred to the relevant supporting structure, resulting in noise, or potentially, in transferring undesirable vibrations through the supporting structure to occupants or nearby equipment.
Springs may be used to support vibrating equipment in order to reduce vibrations from that equipment into the supporting structure. As a non-limiting example, springs may be used to support a vibrating piece of hospital equipment in order to reduce noise and/or vibration transfer to any person or thing, including other nearby sensitive equipment.
However, in certain geographic locations where there is geological seismic activity, the use of vibration isolation springs, without seismic restraint, can make the equipment supported by the springs vulnerable to excessive motion, and potential damage, during seismic activity.
Seismic activity, such as an earthquake, or any other activity, such as high wind speeds, where spring-supported equipment is not protected from excess motion damage. Some way is needed to restrain excessive motion of equipment supported on springs so that the supported equipment is not damaged.
Excessive motion of the supported equipment, and damage to the supported equipment, can be prevented by restraining the motion of the supported equipment. In particular, excessive motion and damage to the supported equipment can be prevented by restraining the motion to less than one quarter inch (¼″) at the points of protection of the supported equipment.